title: The effects of so-called 'forbidden acupuncture points' on pregnancy outcome in wistar rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study sought to determine if acupuncture in LI4 and SP6, or in sacral points could harm the pregnancy outcome in Wistar rats as is believed according to traditional knowledge.
  
  
  METHODS
  48 pregnant Wistar rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: total control where the rats were left in cages without manipulation; anesthetized control where the rats were manipulated and anesthetized but did not received electroacupuncture; peripheral points and sacral points were the rats were anesthetized and received 4 acupuncture points - LI4-SP6 and BL27-28, respectively. The primary end point was embryonic loss after implantation, defined as (number of implantations - number of embryos in development) × 100 / number of implantations. Other evaluated parameters were fetal death, abortions, number of fetuses, and resorptions, resorption index (number of resorptions / total of implantations), maternal weight gain, and fetal weight.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no differences in embryonic loss after implantation (p = 0.45), fetal death (p = 1), abortions (p = 1), number of fetuses (p = 0.79), resorptions (p = 0.3), and resorption index (p = 0.45). There were differences in maternal weight gain and fetal weight, but they seemed unrelated to the treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found no evidence that acupuncture in LI4-SP6 and sacral points could be harmful to the pregnancy outcome in Wistar rats.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: André Vilella
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Guerreiro da Silva
authors.forename: Mary Uchiyama
authors.initials: MU
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: José Antônio
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Cordeiro
authors.forename: João Bosco
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Guerreiro da Silva
authors.forename: Gloria E F
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Mendes
authors.forename: Emmanuel A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Burdmann
mesh_terms: D000034:Abortion, Veterinary; D015669:Acupuncture Points; D000818:Animals; D015671:Electroacupuncture / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015430:Weight Gain